Soil and Plant Scientists Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 19-1013 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$78,853
$37.91/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Soil and Plant Scientists is $78,853 per year ($37.91/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $61,672 and $103,750 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $138,112 per year. There are approximately 15,730 soil and plant scientists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Conduct research in breeding, physiology, production, yield, and management of crops and agricultural plants or trees, shrubs, and nursery stock, their growth in soils, and control of pests; or study the chemical, physical, biological, and mineralogical composition of soils as they relate to plant or crop growth. May classify and map soils and investigate effects of alternative practices on soil and crop productivity.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+5.4%
Faster than average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
21K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
6% from new growth94% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
2K
$72,940
Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 541700
2K
$89,830
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
2K
$65,390
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only)
NAICS 4240A3
2K
$86,720
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
1K
$92,240
Wage range across top 5 industries: $65,390 to $92,240 (41% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$23.41
$48,693
P25
$29.65
$61,672
P50MEDIAN
$37.91
$78,853
P75
$49.88
$103,750
P90
$66.40
$138,112
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average soil and plant scientists salary?
The national median salary for Soil and Plant Scientists is $78,853 per year ($37.91/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $61,672 and $103,750 annually.
How much do top-earning soil and plant scientists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Soil and Plant Scientists is $138,112 per year ($66.40/hr). The 75th percentile is $103,750 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for soil and plant scientists?
Entry-level Soil and Plant Scientists (10th percentile) earn approximately $48,693 per year ($23.41/hr). The 25th percentile is $61,672 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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